Process and article produced thereby



Patented Nov. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS AND ARTICLE PRODUCED THEREBY Application March 18, 1936, Serial No. 69,515

4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a method of encasing candles and in particular to a method of encasing votive candles, and to correlated improvements in the article produced by the method.

The general object of the invention is to provide a non-drip candle and a novel process of producing such a candle.

The specific object of the invention is to provide a votive light unit which does not require an extlraneous container during the burning of the lig t.

Another object of the invention is to provide a votive light which, when burning, does not drip and hence obviates the necessity of cleaning out the container in which the votive light is usually burned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a packaged votive light unit which is neat and pleasing in appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a votive light unit which will not break when accidentally dropped.

Another object of the invention is to provide a packaged votive candle in which the package is an integral part of the candle unit.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

According to the invention, a candle is pack-,- aged by forming a hollow, non-fibrous, cellulosic body, open at one end only, and shrinking said body onto a candle, which is preferably tapered,

- such as a votive candle.

For the candle, any suitable, combustible, animal, mineral or vegetable wax may be employed, such as beeswax, paraffin, carnauba, etc., or any composition derived froin the mixture of waxes and other desirable agents. The term "wax as herein employed is used to designate any suitable combustible, wax-like substance or composition.

The casing may be formed of any suitable, nonflbrous cellulosic material. The casing is preferably formed of regenerated cellulose which may be derived from alkali-cellulose xanthogenates or by the de-esterification of cellulose esters by known processes. The casing may be formed also of cellulose derivatives such as cellulose ethers and cellulose oxy-ethers, as well as mixed etheresters of cellulose. The casing may be transparent, translucent and/or colored and may have fillers and/or flreproofing agents added thereto.

It has been discovered that the cellulosic material formed by the partial denitration of nitrocellulosehuntil the nitrogen content is 2% or less, is particularly advantageous for forming casings for tapered candles, because this material is characterized by superior strength and by shrinking up to 30% on drying. Therefore, even with a candle having a very substantial taper, this material is capable of shrinking to form a casing which adheres closely to the lateral surfaces of the candle.

It is obvious that a candle of any conceivable shape or configuration may be encased in accordance with the herein disclosed invention. The casing in each instance is preferably preformed to coincide with the shape of the candle to be encased.

The invention accordingly comprises the improved candle unit and a process having the steps and the relation of steps, one to another, all as exemplified in the following detailed description and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

' For a more complete understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference shouldbe had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a cross-section of a conventional votive candle;

Fig. 2 shows, in cross-section, a conventional votive candle positioned within a wet, hollow, nonfibrous pellicle of cellulosic material before the step of shrinking the body;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the completed candle unit of the invention; and

Fig. 4 illustrates, in cross-section, a candle unit of the invention after the candle has been burned for a period of time.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a conventional tapered candle or votive candle I having a wick 2 which is fastened to a metallic plate 3 by lugs 4, said plate 3 being anchored to the base of the candle by lugs 5.

In Fig. 2 there is shown a wet, hollow body 6, open at the top only and formed of a non-fibrous, cellulosic material, into which is placed the candle shown in Fig. 1. A substantially stiff collar 1, having a diameter substantially the same as that of the top portion of the candle, is placed on the candle as shown, and the hollow body is then shrunk onto the candle and collar, the final product being shown in Fig. 3. The collar 1 serves to prevent the hollow body from overlapping the top of the candle during the shrinking step and is removed after the casing has dried. However, the collar I may be left intact and become a part of the final product, in which case it is preferable to have the collar formed of a transparent material.

The casing retains its original shape during the burning of the candle, as shown in Fig. 4. The casing may be reenforced by longitudinal beads and/or transverse collars if desired, but reenforcement is not essential as the casing is inherently self-sustaining.

The candle unit of the invention presents a pleasing appearance and enables convenient handling as only one surface of the candle wax is exposed. During the burning of the candle, the molten wax is fully retained within the walls of the casing until the last increment of wax has been volatilized and burned. The metallic plate at the base of the candle serves to maintain the wick in an upright position so that the wax is fully consumed.

While any type of candle may be encased as hereinbefore disclosed, the present invention is particularly applicable to votive candles because the usual breakable glass or like containers, in which votive candles are usually burned, may be dispensed with. Further, if the conventional containers are employed, the necessity of cleaning them after the consumption of each votive candle is obviated as the molten wax is retained solely within the casing and does not come in contact with the container. The casing also serves to reenforce the candle and renders it substantially unbreakable when accidentally dropped. The casing is relatively cheap in cost and is discarded after use.

Since certain changes may be made in the method and article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a candle unit comprising a candle having its lateral and bottom surfaces covered and tightly engaged by a seamless pellicle of a non-fibrous, cellulosic material.

2. As an article of manufacture, a candle unit comprising a tapered candle having a casing tightly engaging and of a non-fibrous, cellulosic material, the casing tightly engaging and covering completely the lateral and bottom surfaces of the candle.

3. As an article of manufacture, a votive light unit comprising a tapered candle having a seamless casing of a non-fibrous, cellulosic materia l tightly engaging and extending over the lateral and bottom surfaces of the tapered candle.

4. As an article of manufacture, a votive light unit comprising a votive candle having a seamless casing of regenerated cellulose tightly engaging and extending-over the lateral and bottom surfaces of the votive candle.

HARRY H. REPLOGLE. 

